“The White Cane Institute is engaged in scientific and
rehabilitation activities and considering its statutes, all its
services are free.”

The commemoration of the White Safety Cane Day was held on 19 October 2017,
at the Convention Center of the National Library of Iran organized by the
White Cane Institute.

The ceremony marked the 28th anniversary of the event, which is held jointly
by the National Library of Iran and the Welfare Organization, on October 15
every year.

A film produced by the White Cane Institute, was broadcast during the
ceremony, which dealt with the activities of the institute and honored its
late founder Mohammad Reza Nameni. In another part of the program the film
“Color World” directed by Mohammad Reza Shahbani Nouri was screened. The
film was the result of several months of efforts by this successful TV and
cinema producer. It showed how the blind described their impression of their
surrounding with regard to colors. At the end of the ceremony, the film “The
Land of Iran” directed by the Gardeshgari (Tourism) Bank, a financial
sponsor of White Cane Day ceremonies, was shown.

Mohammad Etemad, managing director and chairman of the board, commented on
the last year performance of the body and noted: “The White Cane Institute
is engaged in scientific and rehabilitation activities and considering its
statutes, all its services are free.”

Etemad referred to the small space of the Institute and expressed hope that
with the support of benevolent organizations and people, it could provide
more services to blind people and those with low visibility.
The next program was a musical performance with tambourine.

Meanwhile, deputy director of the Welfare Organization, Dr. Hossein Nahvi
Nejad expounded on the special problems the blind are faced with and cited
the plans of the organization to improve the status of the blind.

An address by Engineer Seraj received the applause of the audience,
including art and culture authorities.

Poems about blindness composed in honor of the late Nameni were read out by
blind poetess Parya Tashakori which added to the joy of the audience.

Hojatoleslam Mahmoud Doaie, Managing Director of Ettelaat daily and the
representative of the Supreme Leader attends the White Cane Safety Day
ceremonies every year.

Addressing the ceremony, Doaei praised the intellectual status of these
loved ones in the religion of Islam and in the society.

Performing national and patriotic songs by the Institute’s 22-member hymn
group was one of the most popular programs of the event.

In this section, several of the guests were placed alongside the band and
gave them prizes awarded by the institute with a bunch of flowers.